278: Chapter 278 Hero Saves the Beauty? Male Lead Replaced

"Not good!"

At the very center of the hundreds of green energy beams stood a woman who appeared to be under thirty. She wore a pink and white lotus-patterned dress, with two white silk ribbons wrapped around her arms and a red mark branded between her brows.

Her skin was fair and tender as jade, her figure tall and well-proportioned, her eyes bright and spirited, and her temperament cold and noble—like a queen among flowers.

Watching the spatial barriers appear around her, she realized the situation was dire.

The Cangming Mountains were the territory of the Youming Green-Winged Centipede. The energy of heaven and earth here leaned toward the cold, yin-attribute water element, which was disadvantageous for her.

If she were trapped, there was no way she could break free in a short time. Consequently, the Disciples she had brought would surely suffer heavy losses.

Yet sometimes, the more one worries about something, the more likely it is to happen.

The voice of the Youming Green-Winged Centipede resounded in all directions: "My children, capture all these little Flower Sect wenches. You may treat them however you wish."

Crack!

Countless spatial rifts appeared in the sky over a hundred-mile radius.

Many Rank 6 and Rank 7 centipede Demonic Beasts of various types emerged.

They surrounded the women wearing Flower Sect Disciple and Elder robes in groups of twos and threes.

Facing opponents of similar Realms but several times their number, the Flower Sect Elders and Disciples suddenly felt their pressure increase immensely.

"Stop!" Hua Jin's expression changed drastically as she shouted coldly, "Wu Ming, do you intend to fight my Flower Sect to the death?"

"Let this Sect Master leave with the Sect's Elders and Disciples, and today's matter can be dropped."

"Otherwise, if our Sect's Grand Elder or even the Grand Elder makes a move, you will certainly die."

"Ridiculous!" Wu Ming, the Youming Green-Winged Centipede, sneered, continuing to reinforce the Spatial Lock.

Not only that, but his hundred legs also constantly reached into space, transforming into dark black energy that extended from the barriers, turning into energy whips that continuously attacked Hua Jin.

"Who doesn't know that these Cangming Mountains are my territory? You came here to steal a Rank 8 Spirit Medicine—that is a slap to my face. Letting you go is absolutely impossible."

This time, Hua Jin had brought the Sect's Elders and Disciples to the Cangming Mountains to pluck the top-tier Rank 8 Spirit Medicine, the serene earth nether lotus, from the depths of the Northern Youming Cold Pool.

The serene earth nether lotus had many uses and effects, but the most important one for Hua Jin was its ability to swallow various yin-attribute cold poisons, after which the earth underworld lotus would spontaneously combust.

If she could obtain the serene earth nether lotus for her adoptive mother, who was also the Flower Sect's Sect Master, Hua Yu, although her crippled and ruined legs could not be restored, the poison created by the Tianming Sect within her body could be neutralized.

As a Peak Dou Zun, even if her legs were crippled, it wouldn't affect her strength too much. Her Lifespan would stop decreasing, and she would no longer have to endure the torture and pain of the yin poison.

But who would have thought that just as they located the serene earth nether lotus, they would be surrounded by the Youming Green-Winged Centipede and its subordinates?

Hua Jin was a two-star Dou Zun. Lacking the advantages of time, place, and numbers, she instantly fell into a perilous situation.

"Jie jie, Hua Jin, it just so happens that I need a cultivation vessel for my Breakthrough, and you are quite suitable." Wu Ming's voice echoed from all directions. "As long as you agree to become my Dao Companion, your followers won't have to die. I'll even let you take the serene earth nether lotus. How about it?"

Hearing this, Hua Jin felt an immense sense of humiliation. She took out a spatial Jade Slip and spoke coldly, "Wu Ming, you brought this on yourself."

"Jie jie." Wu Ming gave a strange laugh, showing no fear at all. "Hua Jin, you don't even know that there is a natural Restriction here. Even if you crush that spatial Jade Slip, the message won't get out."

By the time your Flower Sect's Qinghua Two Immortals receive the message, I will have long since left with the serene earth nether lotus."

A bad premonition rose in Hua Jin's heart, and she immediately crushed the Jade Slip in her hand.

A streak of energy pierced through space and flew out, but when it appeared a hundred miles away, a layer of special spatial ripples rose and swallowed it.

"Hua Jin, stop resisting, or your Flower Sect will suffer heavy casualties today."

Terrifying poison gas surged from Wu Ming's body, transforming into dozens of giant energy centipedes that vanished into the Void Realm, only to tear through space and emerge around Hua Jin.

Hua Jin felt her Dou Qi and the favorable heaven and earth energy around her rapidly decreasing. In terms of attributes, this dead centipede also countered her.

"What should I do?!" Hua Jin was incredibly anxious.

If she were determined to leave on her own, she could certainly escape, and it wouldn't even be difficult.

But once she left, the Elders and Disciples she brought would surely suffer. These were her direct subordinates and represented a third of the Flower Sect's backbone.

If she didn't leave, she was no match for Wu Ming. If things dragged on, she might even risk falling herself.

Worse still, she couldn't call for help, and Wu Ming was undeterred by the Flower Sect's reputation, hell-bent on opposing them.

"How dare you be distracted while fighting me."

Sensing Hua Jin's distraction, Wu Ming immediately seized the opportunity to unleash his innate Dou Technique, or rather, his Bloodline Divine Ability.

"Thousand Calamity Chain Prison!"

A layer of cold yin airflow surged across the giant centipede's body, all of it converging on its tail, which had already slipped into the Void Realm at some unknown point.

"Crack!"

Space shattered a hundred feet behind Hua Jin. A massive green-black tail with hooks flew out, creating a spatial pressure that locked down everything in the vicinity.

"Not good!"

Hua Jin's expression changed violently. She raised her hand, plucked the lotus hairpin from her head, and threw it out.

Vast Dou Qi surged into it, and the lotus hairpin instantly transformed into a giant lotus that enveloped her body, forming a defensive barrier to block Wu Ming's sneak attack.

However, there wasn't a hint of regret on Wu Ming's face. His giant beastly eyes held a smile of certain victory. He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the entire space.

Green-purple energy broke through the void and reached its tail, instantly erupting into dozens of light beams that wrapped around the lotus like chains.

"Not good!"

Hua Jin keenly felt the Dou Qi and Soul Power within her body draining away.

Wu Ming's energy perfectly countered hers, and now he was even attempting to Seal her.

If she didn't find a way out, she would eventually be sealed.

"The male lead really has some patience." Gu Han hid within a pocket of the Void Realm, looking toward a certain direction. "He insists on waiting until the moment of life and death to make his move, wanting to maximize Hua Jin's gratitude so he can manipulate her."

"But I don't need to wait until then."

The male lead has changed!

"What should we do? The Young Sect Leader is trapped."

"Was the transmission Jade Slip crushed? What's going on?"

"I've been here before to gather herbs and encountered a Rank 7 Demonic Beast; crushing the Jade Slip for help definitely worked back then."

"Could someone have set up a spatial barrier in advance?"

"Watch out!"

“...”

Several Flower Sect Elders at the Dou Zong level huddled together, directing the deacons and Disciples to use a grand formation to barely hold back the tide of centipedes.

As they spoke, the ground to one side suddenly split open. A black-red Sun Earth Demon Scorpion crawled out from the opening. With a flash of light, it transformed into a human form, a faint blue glow flickering in its eyes. It raised its hand to condense a great blade and slashed out a blood-red light.

A corner of the grand formation was breached, and the situation looked to become perilous in an instant.

Right at that moment, snowflakes as large as goose feathers suddenly began to drift from the sky.

When these snowflakes landed on the Demonic Beasts, they instantly transformed into rampaging frigid Qi, turning them into ice sculptures!